04/09/2013
Vice President Joe Biden is well aware that the loudest rumblings about the 2016 presidential election are currently coming from supporters of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton -- he experienced their enthusiasm firsthand last week.
Yet while the Clinton speculation already appears to have kicked into overdrive, Biden's son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, recently told The New York Times that his father isn't closing any doors, especially with Clinton still maintaining that her career in public office is over.
“It’s no secret that he’s thinking about this,” the younger Biden said. “I’m glad he’s thinking about this. But he hasn’t made up his mind.”
Clinton, on the other hand, has said her mind is made up. But many supporters believe she has left the door open for a 2016 run. Last week, she added fuel to the fire, announcing a book deal and delivering high-profile speeches in New York and Washington, D.C.
Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, has done little to tamp down the speculation. Speaking last week at the Clinton Global Initiative University's annual meeting in St. Louis, he said he was happy to continue his non-profit work and let others run for president.
"I would rather keep doing what I'm doing," he said. "Because I think America will have some very good choices for president."
Hillary Clinton's supporters have already launched the Ready For Hillary PAC, which last week earned the support of longtime Clinton adviser and Democratic strategist James Carville.
Preliminary polling has Democrats in strong shape if either Biden or Clinton carries the party's mantle into the 2016 elections.
A McClatchy-Marist poll released last week showed Clinton with substantial leads in hypothetical match-ups against Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Sen Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R). Biden had slightly narrower leads over the Republican trio in the poll, but trailed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) by three points. Clinton led Christie by three points.